1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing client management method and a wireless Local Area Network (LAN) printer in a wireless network, and more particularly, to a printing client management method and a wireless LAN printer using Media Access Control (MAC) addresses as an index based on the IEEE 802.11b standard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, printing operations are generally performed using a wired LAN. A client/server printer driver system that utilizes such a wired LAN is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,069.
However, alteration and extension of performance of the network and the system in the wired LAN is difficult due to the characteristics of a wired network. In addition, alternation and extension of the network and the system of the wired LAN require large investment, and wired LANs are not able to support a mobile communications system.
Thus, demand for wireless LANs to expand the performance of or replace wired LANs has increased. Here, a wireless LAN is characterized as having the ability to transfer and receive data through air, using radio frequency (RF), or infrared rays. Wireless LANs have the advantages of easy installation, and rapid network deployment. In addition, a wireless LAN does not require interconnecting wires, thus, allows flexible installation and movement of terminals, enabling simple maintenance and repair of the wireless LAN. These advantages have brought increasing attention towards the use of wireless LANs.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) established the IEEE 802.11 wireless standard to describe an over the air interface between a wireless client, a base station or access point, and other wireless clients. The IEEE 802.11b standard, established in September 1999, provides a maximum speed of 11 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.
The IEEE 802.11b standard has been applied in the development of wireless LAN printers. When a computer is network enabled within the IEEE 802.11b standard to perform a printing operation using an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN printer, the computer should associate with a Basic Service Set (BSS). While included as a BSS printing client, similar to other stations connected within the IEEE 802.11b such as a computer, an IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN printer performs various processes in order to exchange upper protocol packets including scanning, synchronization, association, disassociation, authentication, de-authentication, and transfer.
The wireless LAN printer functions as a network server. If the wireless LAN printer is included in the BSS, printing clients that wish to associate with the BSS perform synchronization, association, and authentication processes in relation to the wireless LAN printer. However, association with the wireless LAN printer is limited to approximately ten printing clients.
On the other hand, printing clients that have not been authenticated to receive services of the wireless LAN printer are able to associate with the wireless LAN printer. In such cases, because the number of printing clients allowed to associate with the wireless LAN printer is limited, the printing clients that have been authenticated to receive services of the wireless LAN printer are unable to associate with the wireless LAN printer. In other words, authenticated printing clients are unable to associate with the wireless LAN printer or perform the printing operation due to the presence of non-authenticated printing clients.